Mike and I caught a midnight, overnight bus to Paris on Friday. Word of advice… get there early. Mike and I showed up 10 minutes before our bus left and couldn’t sit together. The bus was completely packed and totally uncomfortable. We took the Channel Tunnel across to France. It would have been cool had it not caused the temperature of the bus to rise and make it impossible to sleep. We arrived in Paris at 7 something Paris time and luckily the metro stopped at this bus station. The bus station was a shady place at that time of day. Gypsies incessantly beg for money (don’t give them any! it only starts a snowball effect). Young hipster looking guys, and middle-aged men stand around the edges spying on who would be easy to pick pocket. My tactic was to make sure they knew I knew they were there and they figured that I wasn’t an easy enough target. Be alert is my best advice. Nothing protects you more than common sense.

The metro took us with in 3 blocks of out hostel and Paris at 8 in the morning was beautiful. It was bright and chilly, and the stores had already started baking their breads and pastries. I couldn’t wait to shower and eat my way across the city.

By the time we ate breakfast ( a baguette with jam or nutella), napped for 40 minutes and showered. we didnt hit the city till 12ish. Paris was our oyster and we headed out on foot to explore. We came across Clichy, a square outside the major city center–it was exactly what i pictured Paris to be like with people sitting out side drinking wine and espresso. Moms and their children sitting around a fountain– the children chasing down the pigeons. (I would later recognize this square in a van Gogh painting in Amsterdam– a really cool feeling to actually have been there). Nearby was the most amazing park I’ve ever seen. It had water falls, enormous hills, and bridges. At the top of the tallest hill was monument-type thing where u could see all of northern Paris, all the way to le Sacre Ceur (don’t hold me to the spelling).

We stumbled across the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower while we walked around Paris. As big as the city is, if you’re willing to get some exercise, it’s accessible by foot and well worth it. My favorite part of Paris wasn’t any of the monuments of Museums, but just walking around getting a feel of the place. And drinking a lot of wine!

The best day in Paris was spent in the d’Aligre Market. It’s an open air market where all the Parisians get their weekly shopping done. There is every type of fruit imaginable, fresh hare and duck, plenty of fromageries and delis. After scooping the place out and getting a feel for how things happened (fast!) Mike and I finally built up enough confidence to try and buy some lunch. We successfully ordered some fantastic Gouda and ham. We stood in line at this cute little bakery (we figured if there was a line that it had to be good). We put our treasure in our pack and head over to local wine bar. Tourists aren’t welcome but we smiled and drank plenty  so they were happy enough. We got a bottle to go (for dirt cheap) and headed back to the hostel to eat out treasures. Walking around Paris with a red wine buzz feels completely natural. It’s an indescribable feeling really.

We spent our last day in Paris going to the Louvre and the Latin Quarter. The Louvre sucks. I love museums and I never wanted to get out of one so bad in my life. Everyone pushes and shows to get to the Mona Lisa, the place is a maze and they had the cafeteria shut on a Sunday. Overall we spent about an hour and half there, and left disappointed. But the Latin Quarter is a must. It’s just across the river from Notre Dame (which is the most peaceful place). I ate an amazing crepe and sat outside under heat lamps drinking more wine. Mike and I had been walking around looking for a great place to eat. The owners would come out and tell us the kind of deals they would give us if we chose them. We ended up picking the most crowded place. It was this little restaurant (that i can’t remember the name of) that made me fall in love with onion soup.  It was absolutely perfect. I would have been happy with it for every course I had.

In the end, I was sad to leave Paris and get back to school. It also meant I would be saying goodbye to Michael soon. If you approach the city and the people humbly and with an open mind, Paris will make you fall in love with it. I will definitely be going back one day.

Au revoir!

Location: Paris, France